Chivalry is Dead
by HecateA
Summary: In which chivalry is dead. No, literally dead. Oneshot.


** This text contains both modern chivalrous actions and also lines from the Art of Courtly Love, used by medieval knights. None of the scenes are linked to each other. I'm not sure if there's such a thing as a happy Tartarus story, but I'm trying it. Happy Valentine's Day.**

**Thanks to Wierdo4 who went over this for me last night.**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Percy, Annabeth or the other demigods you will see down below.**

* * *

**Chivalry is Dead**

* * *

**Polite boys stand when a girl enters the room, and when she departs**.

Percy twisted his thumbs around looking around the dark cell every now and then when he felt like his brain would implode from boredom, worry and inactivity. Finally he heard footsteps down the hall of the god Tartarus' gloomy prison.

He heard the jingling of keys and looked up. Annabeth, hands bonded behind her back, was being led back by one of the blade-sharp guards. He opened the door, and Percy stood up right away as Annabeth got shoved in. He caught her.

"Long time no see Wise Girl," he said. "You okay?"

"Yes, but free my hands."

* * *

**Boys should open doors for girls**.

"I can see Nico!" Annabeth said. "He's opening the doors on the outside- we can go!"

"I'll open the doors from the inside, you stay behind." Percy said. "Just in case."

* * *

**When a girl is taking a seat at a table, the boy pulls out her chair for her.**

"I am ready to make a deal with you, young demigods" Tartarus said from the edge of his long dining table. "Sit. This food is perfectly safe from demigods and much needed from the looks of you both. I refuse to discuss with famished parties."

Percy pulled a chair for Annabeth.

"After you, business partner."

* * *

**A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved.**

They were in the middle of nowhere, circled by smoke and mist that was starting to get to their heads and turn them feverish and hallucinating

Percy was lying on his stomach, propped on his elbows though the effort that took was tremendous.

Suddenly a woman strolled out of the smoke, her hands spread in front of her. She was the most beautiful woman Percy had ever seen. Her hair was red and curly, her complexion was Mediterranean and her eyes were soft and a very down-to-earth brown. She wore a white robe and held her hand out to Percy. She knelt in front of him and touched his hair.

"Do you need a hand, Percy? Or maybe more than a hand…"

Percy was panting. She took his breath away and his eyes darted all over her. He knew she was beautiful, but forgot the detail he'd just seen as his eyes moved on.

"Just a hand," he panted.

The hallucination disappeared.

* * *

**Boys graciously give up their seats on buses, trains, etc., when all the seats are taken and a girl is forced to stand**.

Annabeth came back from her turn to go search for water or food in the area around their new camp, tired and pale and cold. She declared that she hadn't found a single thing before crumbling onto a rock.

Percy sat up from the rock from which he was watching over the fire.

"This one's smoother," he said. "Please take my seat."

* * *

**Girls precede boys through every door except revolving doors**.

Jason threw the rope down to them.

"We've got it guys, climb out of there." He said.

He could feel Annabeth's energy- the same as him. Hope, joy, relief- at last they were safe.

Percy handed the piece of rope to Annabeth.

"After you," he said.

* * *

**When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his heart palpitates.**

Finally he could get up after the long fall. He spun around, trying to see something in the dark.

"Annabeth!" He called. Nothing. No, no, no, no… "Annabeth!" He called again.

Percy felt like he was going to be sick. Then suddenly his eyes adapted to the darkness and he saw her, sitting up a few feet away.

_Oh thank the gods. _

* * *

**It is very nice for a boy to help a girl into her coat**.

It was in the middle of the throne room of the gods that Percy and Annabeth landed after being zapped out of Tartarus, surrounded by the crew and the gods seated on their thrones- every breathing thing in the room battle worn.

"Oh thank gods," Hazel squeaked.

Percy grabbed Annabeth's arm to make sure she was still there. She was. It was over. It was really over.

Piper was knelt next to Annabeth and checking her temperature and touching her cheeks.

"You're freezing," she said. While she was unzipping her jacket, she called out to the boys to figure out which one was Percy's size. Jason was already handing him a purple hoody.

Percy's hands were shaking but he took Piper's jacket from her hands and helped Annabeth fit her shaking hands through the sleeve. They were grabbed by the crew, and nobody was above hugging now. Hazel even kissed him on the cheek and she looked about ready to cry when she said 'I so didn't want to lose you'.

Finally he got back to Annabeth. He kissed her forehead.

"We are _so _due for a movie date," he whispered.

"Now's a g-g-g-good time to ask?" She asked, her teeth clattering.

"Hey, if you're going to say something about me- it won't be that I'm not chivalrous," Percy said. "Except, you know, that one time I dissapeared and didn't leave a note... and when I ran off into a volcano and let you think I was dead... or when I dragged you off on an illegal quest in the Bermuda triangle..."

"Shut up Seaweed Brain," she said. "Chivalry is dead."

"I'm going to resuscitate it," he said kissing her for real.


End file.
